The Cabinet is expected to assess the level of progress made in talks between hospital consultants and their health service employers over a new contract as a Government-set deadline runs out today.
Ahead of today's Cabinet meeting, Donal Duffy, the assistant general secretary of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA), said "significant progress" had been made during the resumed talks but that a number of outstanding issues needed to be resolved.
"The management side are of the view that some changes are required to bring in clinical directors, team working and a more flexible working day," Mr Duffy told RTÉ's Morning Ireland. "We have reached broad agreement on these issues."
However, Mr Duffy said "significant difficulties" remained on issues such as the rights of doctors to advocate publicly on behalf of patients, clinical independence and private practice rights.
Mr Duffy said it was important that where there were faults in the health service, consultants should be able to "stand up and speak publicly about them".
He added: "It would be a breaking point for us if a gagging clause was introduced."
Mr Duffy said his organisation was willing to discuss public-only contracts with the HSE but that as the HSE's proposals on private practice were unworkable and unaceptable, they were "unworthy of further discussion."
The Cabinet is to decide today if an extension is to be granted to the talks, which resumed six weeks ago.